{"id":7314,"date":"2009-02-27T00:23:57","date_gmt":"2009-02-27T00:23:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=7314"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"oldbtb_1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/?p=7314","title":{"rendered":"Golden Eagles in Flight in Taiwan Distaff Marathon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strong mares with big records and royal pedigrees are on display Saturday as 14 tenacious mares meet this Saturday in horse racing’s truest test, the two-mile marathon, to be run on fast dirt in the G3 Eagle Handicap. Stamina will be key in this test of the talents of these real stars of the Sport of Queens in an event where there is no place for buttoned and beribboned show fillies who collapse in a broken heap if required to run for more than a fraction of a mile. The average participant is a 5-year-old with 6 or 7 non-MCOS wins at the long distances, but there are challenges from precocious 4-year-olds wanting to show that this is their rightful place.<\/P>

RAIDER PREFERED<\/STRONG> runs from the inside post for the cabin stable. It was 43 races into her career before this one tried the two-mile distance and the results were good, scoring a 5\/2 win in the GRANNY HAUNTED in New Mexico in November. The four efforts since that, all at shorter distances, have been less successful, as this 5-year-old daughter of Stormin Fever<\/EM> has faded badly in the stretch. This would not seem auspicious for a move back to the two-mile distance, but perhaps Raider Prefered is a genuine two-mile specialist. Even so this 20\/1 shot would need to improve on the 92 speed that this one has put up in her last two ventures at 14 furlongs or more.<\/P>

ON VOGUE<\/STRONG> runs from the #2 slot for the Focuslodge Stables which will celebrate its 1000th race this week if everyone has drawn in. The five-year old daughter of Arazi <\/EM>had done most of its running last year on the turf until December when it switched to dirt in an unrestricted 13-furlong allowance and tan a 100 speed, its highest figure ever. This 28\/1 shot followed this up by winning a track-restricted allowance at this distance in January, drawing away in the stretch to win by 5 lengths, albeit at a slow 78 speed. This one’s chance relies on her being a real two-mile specialist who had power to spare as an odds-on favourite in her first try at this distance.<\/P>

BARBARIC BUFFY<\/STRONG> is a five-year-old daughter of Shamardal, in the Giant’s<\/EM> Causeway<\/EM> line, (x Lemon Drop King x Cozzene<\/EM>). This 13\/1 shot has been a classic specialist for over a year but only entered the stakes realm after being shrewedly claimed for $40,000 last fall by seaeagle09<\/EM> in the Black Mourning<\/EM> operation. Since then Barbaric Buffy has put up four itm finishes in 5 races, highlighted by an 11-furlong win in the V TOM in Portugal in November at a 104 speed. This one has been being approached from behind even in the successful efforts recently and her ability to stretch out to two miles is at question. Jockey T. Campbell is off to a slow start this year.<\/P>

OGG VORBIS<\/STRONG>, a 6-year-old running from the 4-slot for trainer psychloan at 7\/1, has developed a regular pattern of finishing close-but-no-cigar. This daughter of Dynaformer<\/EM>‘s last win was at this distance in the GOLD SERUM in Utah almost 10 months ago. The interesting speed\/distance combination of Honor Grades<\/EM> and Big Spruce<\/EM> round out the pedigree. Since then she has put up 4 place finishes, all at between 11 and 14 furlongs, plus an out-of-the-money finish in a Grade I and a show finish on an off track. Last out was a 105 performance, tying her best, so a return to best efforts would seem to be possible. Ogg Vorbis has the ability to win here, but only puts up big efforts too infrequently to count on her here.<\/P>

BASQUE<\/STRONG>, a 4 year-old daughter of Refuse To Bend<\/EM> (x Deputy Minister x<\/EM> Capote<\/EM>), is coming off 4 straight wins, the last two at her first two attempts at 10-furlong plus. She is on the improve, with speeds increasing each time out, moving methodically through her allowance conditions, capping at last’s 105 at 11 furlongs in an N4X allowance in Finland. The 14\/1 shot runs for dog<\/EM> barn, part of the tees<\/EM> outfit. Basque had been operating as a stalk type, but last time decided to dispense with the reserve and floor it from the start running wire-to-wire, taking a 6 1\/2 lead into the stretch before easing to a 3 1\/2 length victory. It’s a long way between 11 furlongs and 2 miles and no one knows where this one’s distance limit might be, but the way to make money in this racket in the long run is to cast your fate with young horses on the improve. <\/P>

LESS THAN KIND<\/STRONG> is an imposingly bred 5-year-old (Sadler’s Wells x A. P.<\/EM> Indy x Kris S.)<\/EM> who has emerged as a long-distance dirt threat over a six-race period since last summer. The record includes a strong place finish at this distance in the G1 Birthday Bash in Delaware at 40\/1 and two stake wins going away at 14 furlongs, the fastest being a 105 effort at the HER AFRO in Wisconsin in November. Less Than Kind runs for the sdmf6<\/EM> branch of Black Label Stables which produces wins at a 19.9% clip. Even at 5 there seems to be an exciting career ahead for this mare ranked 19th in her division and the 14\/1 odds offered seem generous. Jockey S. Ray, a career 12% producer, is off to a miserable 5% start.<\/P>

GLADSTONE<\/STRONG> (9\/1) is the second leading money earner in the field, boosting 14 wins after her maiden and $505 K in earnings. The 6-year-old daughter of Birdstone<\/EM> hasn’t won on fast\u00a0dirt since\u00a0last March but has put up a number of competitive efforts in graded company during this period. The last two efforts have resulted in 93 speeds and Topicount Stables which controls this mare through the wistful2 <\/EM>barn will be hoping that these efforts represent only a temporary downturn in form and not a permanent declension in ability. Most of Gladstone’s career has been at 12 furlongs or less; the two 2-mile efforts have had mixed results, the better effort being a place effort in the slop in an Arkansas stake in November. Veteran rider D. Fishback is off to a very good 17.1% start this year.<\/P>

K’S KURIARA<\/STRONG> is another credentialed 2-mile performer, with a win in the TAN SOAR in Oredon last fall as an odds-on favourite being one of her 11 long dirt wins. Another one came last time at the CANE LOIS in France, at a 90 speed as a 1\/5 favourite in a short field.; we might surmise that she had more in the tank if needed. This imposingly bred miss (Awesome Again x<\/EM> Seattle Slew x Nureyev<\/EM>) has been in good form for the last 11 months, putting up only one finish out of the monry on fast dirt. This one, at the peak of her form, took off at the wire running up leads of 9 or 10 lengths entering the stretch and challenging the field to run her down. However K’s Kuriara hasn’t run at odds as rough as 9\/1 on fast dirt since 2007, and there are many here who may take up the challenge of running a frontrunner down in the stretch. Matarile<\/EM> barn, part of ledwith’s Pompeya TRC group, which has won over 25% of its starts lifetime, sends this one out under D. Brock.<\/P>

POINT WANTED<\/STRONG> (11\/1) runs from the 9 post for dreamer<\/EM> barn, part of the silverny<\/EM> conglomerate. The six-year-old daughter of Ten Most Wanted <\/EM>has been a dirt distance specialist for almost 2 years, with stake wins at 12 and 14 furlongs being her prime accomplishments; she has never tried 2 miles and hopes to discover an unexplored niche here. The last 2 finishes have been out of the money, including a disappointing 4th place finish at 2\/1 in a Mexico stake in January. Point Wanted moves to the Far East to get back on track, and had 8 straight itm finishes on fast dirt before the last 2. When in peak form this one lays back and runs a closing style, and D. Ficci, off to an ice-cold start this year, will likely be holding this one back till late. A Silverny spokesman told the Black Type Bugler<\/EM><\/STRONG> that the distance will be a test for her but she should be able to hit the board. <\/P>

SLEW OF CASH<\/STRONG> (7\/1) tried two miles for the first time last July and won an N2T allowance by 6 lengths. Since then this daughter of Empire Maker<\/EM> (x Sadler’s Wells x Seattle Slew<\/EM>) has been a true two-mile dirt specialist, eschewing all other distances and surfaces. The results have included 2 stake wins, place finishes in G3 and G1 events, with the only otm finish being a decent 4th in the G1 Birthday Bash in Delaware. She’s ranked #8 in her division. Running for the plunk5 <\/EM>barn for the Chilimak<\/EM> association, Slew of Cash has won as a frontrunner, a near stalker, and deep stalker, showing a versatility that could be of good use in this varied field. The track’s second leading rider, C. Meads, off to a quick 25% start this year, is the right person to gauge the best approach here; hanging back 4 or 5 lengths from the lead for a while might work.<\/P>

BATTLE MUSIC<\/STRONG> (18\/1) is the youngest of the field at 4 here and the only entrant never to put op an 100 speed. The daughter of Unbridled’s Song<\/EM> did register a stake win and 3 place finished at 10 furlongs or more as a 3-year-old and looks to break out in her 2009 campaign. This Twoofus Stables product has been coming in the lane 6 of her last 7 races on fast dirt, the only exception being the only two-mile event in that period, where she fell back to a third place finish 10 lengths back. Veteran jock R Dzurilla is off to a fast 17% start here. Battle Music can likely compete with older now or soon, and may well be able to handle two miles, but the combination of taking on tougher than she before has, at a longer distance, may be too much here. <\/P>

CAMDEN DRAIN<\/STRONG> (12\/1) has only 1 itm finish in the last 6 and seeks to return to the form shown last fall in the TWILIGHT PASS in England at 13 furlongs, her longest win ever. Her lifetime fastest by far, a 109 speed, came at 9.5 furlongs, and it must have been tempting to try that distance again. She runs for the stunngun<\/EM> barn in the JRogue<\/EM> enterprise. The daughter of Barathea<\/EM> (x Spectacular Bid x Sunday Silence<\/EM>) has had nothing in the lane for the last little while; last out she took the lead from the start before being caught late at even odds. Her best results would seem to come when stalking very close to the lead and rider J. Burlington, a 10% performer, will have a tricky task managing this running from the 12 slot. <\/P>

HIDDEN MESSAGES<\/STRONG> is the 4\/1 favourite and, at age 4, is top money winner in the field, having earned $529K in a 14 race career with 7 wins, boosted by a G1 win in Arkansas twice back. This one had no difficulty meeting older in her 3-year-old campaign, winning her first race against 4-year-olds while stretching out to 12 furlongs, at 12\/1 odds. In her last 4 races at 11 or 12 furlongs, this one has put up successive speed figures of 108, 109, 109 and 114, the latter being the clear top figure in this field. The other race in this period was the only one at a longer distance, and produced a 91 speed, good for a place finish after being caught in the stretch as a 1\/2 favourite. The daughter of Monsun<\/EM> (x Seattle Slew x Secretariat<\/EM>). Top jockey M. Scott has the mount for the sender barn, part of Deadinthelane Stables.The main question here may be whether the 14 furlong showing indicates an inability to go two miles. Hidden Messages usually takes a closing style and the outside post should work fine.<\/P>

STREET CREDS<\/STRONG>, a 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry<\/EM>, has won 10 races in the last year, mostly claimers, starters and allowances. The 8\/1 shot was available to anyone willing to put a commitment to pay $7,500 into the claiming box just under a year ago. After exhausting her starter tags and winning her N4X trainer fetti50<\/EM> sent this one into the stake ranks, with generally satisfactory results. She has won her last 2 stakes, at 13 and 12 furlongs respectively, and flies across the sea to face graded company for the first time. She stays off the pace and has had good results staying close up and running from far back. Her ability to go beyong 13 furlongs is unknown although she has been coming in the lane and may like more room; jockey B. Baxter has won only an execrable 3% this year.<\/P>

Toral Picks From His Fedora:<\/P>

1. SLEW OF CASH<\/P>

2. BASQUE<\/P>

3. HIDDEN MESSAGES <\/P><\/FONT><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hidden Messages to Chase Slew of Cash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":440,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/440"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7314"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7314\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}